photo credit: weworemasks

For the past decade or so, Honda Civic Tours have brought some of the biggest names in rock music across the US for an interactive tour. Last year’s blink-182 and My Chemical Romance lineup was lukewarm, due to underwhelming “performance issues” from the bands on the bill. This year would be an exception, considering the fact that Linkin Park and Incubus are two established bands who are notorious for having consistently praised performances. And although 2012’s Civic Tour holds a shorter itinerary of only 17 dates, the completely sold-out Woodlands Pavilion crowd had plenty of rock to enjoy.

Hit the jump for the review.

-grizzly


photo credit: weworemasks

Mute Math grasped a great opportunity to open for this tour, and potentially open their already stadium-sized pop rock to an entirely new demographic – but their 6:30 p.m. set time didn’t exactly agree with Houston’s rush hour traffic. Not to mention, The Woodlands has a terrible ramp that allots thousands of exiting cars only one lane to exit from, creating a cluster of cut-offs and close-call fender benders.

And like any other Woodlands Pavilion shows, the time slots are strict and inflexible. Incubus’ set time of 7:20 p.m. didn’t exactly agree with their fanbase either, as fans were still pouring in everywhere while the sun was still up during their set. This tour was a change of pace for Calabasas, CA’s prized possession. Stepping away from the usual fare of headlining amphitheaters and serving as the “co-headlining direct support” (you’re welcome) for Linkin Park was a change of pace, and allowed them the freedom to do what they wanted, which was showcase their new album, If Not Now, When?

photo credit: weworemasks

Their 2011 record took a new direction – simple, streamlined and way more adult contemporary than their experimental alt-rock leanings of their earlier releases. Bookending their set with “Adolescents” and “Tomorrow’s Food” was a bit more anti-climactic than the typical hit-single showcases. The band slipped up naught – musically, that is. Brandon Boyd had a minute brain lapse when he told us “Hello, Dallas” and was met with a barrage of boos; well deserved. But he took the boos on the chin and continued onward with back to back performances of the holy trinity of Make Yourself: “Drive,” “The Warmth” and “Pardon Me,” the set’s best moments.

As the sun set and dusk fell upon the Pavilion, the show finally came into full swing. The whole setup was just — awkward. I mean when was the last time Incubus played in broad daylight? Regardless, the band was excellent and Brandon Boyd was impressive as always, seasoned in his vocal approach, never shying away from his auxiliary percussion duties, or his ‘I’m taking my shirt off now!’ duties for that matter. And while this wasn’t the best Incubus performance I’ve seen, there’s no such thing as a bad one.

photo credit: weworemasks

Last year, weworemasks was invited to see Linkin Park on their tour for A Thousand Suns, and I just want to say that they made a fan out of me. Having not heard anything past my adolescent years and their sophomore effort, Meteora, I had allegedly outgrown them. However, I’d soon find out that even if I didn’t particularly take to their newer records, their live show is fairly unparalleled in mainstream rock music, which can be found in droves on your standard rock radio station. The band shines on stage, and puts forth more effort than most. Elaborate stage set-ups (i.e. ramps, pyrotechnics, LED lights, screens, etc) is only a part of it. The entire experience is a multi-sensory experience, and it’s good to see some dudes who started a rap-rock band in the early 2000s become successful and manage to stay relevant, unlike the Limp Bizkits and KoRns of their time.

photo credit: weworemasks

The band opened with Hybrid Theory sleeper in “A Place For My Head,” setting the crowd into a fiery angst that didn’t slow down much throughout the duration of their set. They did an execellent job of playing all the old hits that everyone wanted to hear (every Transformers song, “In The End,” “Somewhere I Belong”) and managed to throw in experimental tracks from their later records (“Waiting For The End,” “Lost In the Echo”) into a seamless blend of old and new. Frontmen Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda have a fantastic dynamic with each other, with the latter moving from guitar to piano to vocals and the former having energy for days to run amuck and flail around stage.

Pyrotechnics were synced with “Burn It Down,” a track we all became familiar with if not simply for the 2012 NBA Playoffs, and the set-ending “Bleed It Out,” which had the entire Woodlands demographic clapping along to the beat. And once again, an album that was less than stellar upon listening came to life on stage, via their latest offering in Living Things. The encore had the entire Woodlands eating out of the palm of their hands, with “Faint” eventually leading into “One Step Closer,” the ninja-bearing single that started it all. And maybe it was the two degrees of separation from Rick Rubin, or maybe it was just the tribute aspect, but one of the night’s best moments came during the bridge of “Bleed It Out,” to which the band broke off and covered the Beastie Boys’ beloved single, “Sabotage,” which Chester rapped to the Houston crowd as if it were his own. Despite being a band for well over a decade, these boys still know how to keep things interesting for themselves and their fanbase, who have not faltered in the slightest.

photo credit: weworemasks

[LINKIN PARK]

A Place For My Head
Given Up
New Divide
With You
Somewhere I Belong
In My Remains
Victimized (with QWERTY Snippet)
Points of Authority
Lies Greed Misery
Waiting for the End
Breaking the Habit
Leave Out All the Rest/Shadow of the Day/Iridescent Medley
The Catalyst
Lost in the Echo
Numb
What I’ve Done
Burn It Down
In the End
Bleed It Out (with Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage”)

Encore
Tinfoil Intro
Faint
Lying From You
Papercut
One Step Closer

[INCUBUS]

Adolescents
Nice to Know You
Privilege
Megalomaniac
Wish You Were Here
If Not Now, When?
Made for TV Movie (with Lionel Richie’s “Hello”)
Anna Molly
Pendulous Threads
Promises, Promises
Drive
The Warmth
Pardon Me
Rebel Girls
Sick Sad Little World
Tomorrow’s Food

[ed note: Many thanks to Renee from Machine Shop for setting us up. The tickets were amazing and we really appreciate the photo daps!]